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(No Model.)

' R. A. BURNETT.

GRAIN DRIER. N0. 355,861. Patented Jan. 11, 1887.

Q ih wooeo avwemto'e AZ XM QMA QW- K 3 51 attoz'l l-u ar N. PETERS, PhntL-Liibagmpher. wan-my M\ NrTa STATES ROBERT A. BURNETT, OF WASHINGTON COURT-HOUSE, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO BURNETT BROS, OF SAME PLACE.

GRAIN-DRIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 355,861, dated January 11, 1887,

Application filed March 19, 1886. Serial No. 195,811. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, ROBERT A. BURNETT, a citizen of the United States, residing at \Vashington Court-House, in the count-y of Fayette and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Grain- Driers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in grain-driers; and it consists of an arrangement of grainelevators and pipes with a series of screens, and rotary fans connected with said pipes, the specific features of which will be fully hereinafter set forth.

The object of my invention is to dry grain by drawing hot air through pipes in which the grain by its gravity passes alternately over a series of screens while the air is drawn 2;, through the same. I attain this object by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure I is a front elevation of the graindrying machine, with one of the conveyer or screen pipes in section, and a hotair furnace,

likewise in section. Fig. II is a side View of the elevator-pipe, with a section of the conveyer or screen pipe in section, with the top screen shown.

5 Like letters designate like parts throughout the several views.

A A are uprights, which support the bearings for the shafts I and H; and D is a section of floor from which the elevator and conveyer 4o pipes are supported.

B are a series of pipes which inclose the usual form of elevator-belt with buckets, and in no particular differs from elevators in general use in the elevation of grain. Surround- 4 5 ing these elevator-pipes are the conveyor-pipes O, which are united in a series of two at the top by a case, which incloses a rotary fan, G. To the shafts of these fans are pulleys 8. These pulleys are connected by belts Lto pulleys J on the shaft I.

U is the driving-pulley, and is attached to shaft H. To this shaft are attached the conveyer-pulleys which carry the elevator buckets, the belt P of which is shown in both views.

The conveyer-pipes (J are identical in construction, and are formed by boarding up the space between the elevator-pipes, with the exception of the outside ones. In these pipes are secured a series of wire screens, a, which are attached alternately to the sides of the pipes at an angle of about forty-five degrees, leaving a space at the ends for the grain to pass. The grain which is carried up by the elevators is discharged through the spouts O into these pipes, and passes alternately over the several surfaces of the screens, and the fans cause drafts of air to pass up through said pipes.

At Fig. II is a side view showing the side wall of the elevator-pipe B, the front and rear walls in section, of conveyor-pipe O, with the top wire screen, a, the spout 0 extending over the same. The circular lines at the top show the position of the fan G and the circular 7 5 lines at H the pulley of the elevator. The lines plain and dotted show the elevator belt or band, and P one of the buckets.

For the purpose of forcing hot air through the conveyer-pipes, I attach to the same the Sc pipe E, which connects with the hot-air chamber Q, which may beheated by steam-pipes R; or the same may be heated from a furnace, T, beneath the chamber. F F are slides or dampers, which are used to regulate the flow of air into the conveyer-pipes. The heated air may be obtained from any convenient source of supply.

The operation is thus: The elevators terminate in suitable bins, and the power is applied to the pulley U on shaft'H. Thence the power is transmitted through pulleys W V and belt to the shaft 1. This sets the elevators and fans in motion. As the grain reaches the top it drops onto the screens,and as it descends 5 through the several conveyer-pipes it is subjected in the first two to currents of hot air .and in the others to currents of cold air. The

former currents are to drive off the moisture and the latter to complete the process of dry- :00 ing the grain.

Such is the state of the art in the drying of grain by drafts of air, with the grain traversing screens within pipes, that I only claim the combination of blower, pipes, and elevator, substantially as herein set forth and specifically claimed.

WVhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a grain-drier, the combination of the elevator B, with spouts to convey the grain to the conveyer-pipes 0, arranged on both sides of said elevators and immediately contiguous thereto, said conveyer-pipes having a series of Wire screens arranged zigzag and alternately attached to the sides thereof, these conveyerpipes being connected by twos at the top over 15 said elevator to a blower, to carry up through said conveyerpipes hot or cold air, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I aflix my signature in presence of two 20 witnesses.

ROBERT A. BURNETT.

\Vi tn ess es:

BURNETT MYERs, Ann. BURNETT. 

